It was the Comic Editor who suggested that they go uptown by the subway.
It was the rush hour, so there was plenty of room for everybody. The Red
Knight lay back in his seat and looked thoughtfully at Alice.
"Now that I have got Oklahoma and there is no doubt as to how the rest
of the country is going, I feel the need of a little recreation--" he
said.
"Wreckreation, you know," said the Comic Editor and nudged Alice in the
side as he spelled out the joke for her.
"Do you like puzzle pictures?" said the Red Knight.
"I just love them," said Alice.
The Red Knight took out a large document printed on heavy parchment. At
the top was an eagle with outstretched wings, and Alice could read the
first line. "We, the people of the United States, in order--" Borrowing
Alice's scissors, he snipped the paper up in little bands and squares.
These he first threw up in the air. Then he ran them through his
fingers. Then he crumpled them up, threw them on the floor and jumped
upon them.
"Change and exercise are good for the Constitution, you know," said the
Comic Editor.
Alice looked calmly at the Comic Editor and set to work arranging the
fragments. But the task was quite beyond her. "I'm afraid you'll have to
do it yourself," she said.
"It's very simple," said the Red Knight. He took the pieces and deftly
put them together, putting Article XII first and Article VII next, and
so on. "Now, here's a sample of the way it should look," he said, and
Alice noticed that the typography had changed very oddly. She read as
follows:
We, the people of the Un=I=ted States, =I=n order to form a more
perfect un=I=on, establ=I=sh just=I=ce, =I=nsure domest=I=c
tranqu=I=l=I=ty, prov=I=de for the common defense, promote the
general welfare and secure the bless=I=ngs of l=I=berty to
ourselves and our poster=I=ty, do orda=I=n and establ=I=sh th=I=s
Const=I=tut=I=on for the Un=I=ted States of Amer=I=ca.
"It seems to be nothing but capital I's," said Alice. "The rest you can
hardly read."
"That is the letter of the Constitution," said the Red Knight. "I have
always been faithful to it, and always will be."
"But you can't make a Constitution out of a single letter," insisted
Alice.
"Yes, you can," said the Red Knight, "provided the letter is big
enough."
But Alice was firm. "I don't see how language can be made up of one
letter. You need twenty-six at least."
"I don't think so," said the Red Knight, "and, besides, where am I to
get the other letters from?"
"You might advertise," said the Comic Editor. "Help Wanted, Mail, you
know."
All at once the Red Knight sat straight up, and his face grew bright.
"Why, of course, we need more letters. There is e for 'me' and o for
'our' and u for 'us' and a for 'am' and y for 'my.' My dear Alice, that
really was a bright idea of yours."
"Whatever is bright is Constitutional, you know," said the Comic Editor.
The Red Knight picked up the pieces of parchment. "With a little
practice," he said, "you will be very good at taking a constitution
apart and putting it together again. It helps to pass the time, and when
you are tired of the game you can throw the mess out of the window."
"Interrupt it and constrew it, you know," said the Comic Editor.
"Oh, don't be a fool," said Alice, quite losing her temper. She looked
so angry that the Comic Editor burst out crying. He was still sobbing
when they came to the door of the Outlooking Glass office.